Device for regulating humidity of containers



April 21, 1925.

l. D. PERRY DEVICE FOR REGULATING HUMIDITY 0F CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 18,1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 21, 1925. 1,534,339

|-. D. PERRY DEVICE FOR REGULATING HUMIDITY OF CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 18,1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

er orrics.

IRA D. PERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO BUNTE BROTHERS, OFCHICAGO,

i ,3 v ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR REGULATING HUMIDITY or oontmmnns.

Application filed December 18, 1922. Serial No. 607,731.

cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a.certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for Regu-' lating Humidityof Containers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tomeans for controllingthe moisture content in theair within a glass jar or similar container. The invention is of Specialutility in connection with the use of hollow stoppered candy jars thepurpose being tokeep the air within the jar as dry aspossible to preventthe'candy from becoming sticky. Generally speaking I provide areceptacle for containing a dehydrating substance and equip it withfastening means composed of arms which are comparatively stiii and,means for causingsaid arms to positively engage the stopper, thuslocking the restopper of a jar.

ceptacle to the stopper. I obtain my object by the mechanism illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an assembly viewshowing any device in position within the cap or The view is taken inaxial vertical sectiong Figure 2 is a plan section on the line Figure 3is a sectional elevation on the line Figure 1.

5-5 Figure 4. 4O

Figure l. is similarto Figure 1 but shows amodilied type of means forretaining the dehydrating material in position within the stopper. r

Figure 5 is a plan section on the line Figure 6 is a plan view of thecover showing the arms removed. Figure 7 is a perspective view of thetypeof retaining arm employed in the form shown in Figures 4: and 5. 1

Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

Referring first to the type shown in F igure 1,.the jar 1 has astopper 2having a flange Swhich fits into the mouth of the jar. The stopper isinternally chambered and has an internal annular I shoulder 5'ioraminous bottom 7 and a cover 8.

which faces upward and inward and an annular shoulder I which facesdownward and inward.

The dehydrating material (not shown) is designed to be held within areceptacle which, according to the illustrated form, consists of acylindrical box 6 having a In the illustrated design the cover iscircular in outline andhas'a marginal flange which fits over theuppergedge of the boX. The

design of the receptacle may, however, be

considerably altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The cover 8 has upstanding cars 10 which arepreferably struck out of themetal of the cover itself. They are arranged in pairs and apertured inalignment with each other to support pins 12 which are arrangedhorizontally and form pivots for the lower end of retaining arms 14.These arms are approximately V shaped and may be made of strap metal asstiff and heavy as desired. The parts are so proportioned and arrangedthat the bends of these retaining arms close- 1y approach each otherabove the center of the cover. Their outer ends extend radial ly outwardfar enough that when the bends are sufiiciently elevated above thecoverthe outer upper ends of the arms will'en'gage theishoulder 5 ofthestopper and hold the cover in close contactwith the shoulder 4. Itwill be observed that the arms are approximately V-shaped, the outer endof one arm being connected to the receptacle,and

the outerend of the otherarm resting upon the internal shoulder of thestopper. The arms are rotated about their pivots to engage'and disengagethe shoulder 3 by a screw 16, the upper end of which works in a nut 17held centrally in the cover 8. In the illustrated form the nut isrigidly held onthe top of the cover by lugs 18. which are formed fromthe metal of the cover itself. The screw extends down through thebottomof the box 6 and at the lower end haswings 19 or other means by which itmay be readily grasped and rotated by the user. The upper end of thescrew underlies the bends of the arms 14 and the parts are so designedand proportioned that when the screw is backed off, so that its upperend is flush with the upper surface of the nut, the arms let will falldownward as shown in full lines in Figure 1 in which position theydisengage the shoulder 5 and are free to pass out through the neck ofthe stopper. By rotating the screw to move it forward and upward thearms will be rotated about their pivots in a direction to move the upperouter end outward so as to overlie the shoulder 3 as illustrated indotted lines in Figure 1. This holds the cover suspended within thestopper. The box 6 will be supported either by -frictional engagementwith the flange of the cover or by resting upon the wings 19.

In operation, when it is desired to remove the box and contents from thestopper the screw 16 is first backed off sufliciently to permit the arms14: to swing inward and disengage the shoulder 3 of the stopper. Myentire device may be thereupon lowered away and removed from thestopper. The screw may then be backed off further so as to entirelyrelease the nut 17. This will permit the cover 8 to be lifted off andthe dehydrating material within to be removed and renewed. After freshdehydrating material has been introduced the cover may be replaced andthe reverse operation performed. If desired a pin 20 may be passedthrough the screw within boxG to prevent the screw from being entirelyremoved from the box when the box and cover are separated.

The form of device shown in Figures l, 5 and 6 is. similar in generalprinciple to the form hereinabove described, the chief diiference beingin the details by which the arms are articulately connected to thecover. In this form the arms have notches 26 at the side near the lowerend and these are designed to engage the sides of slots 28 formed in thecover. Near the inner end, at the points 29, the metal at the sides ofthe slots is rounded upward so as to form a seat for the projecting lugs30 formed on the arms 25 below the notches 26. The arms are assembledwith the cover by first inserting the lugs 30 lengthwise of the slot andthen turning them crosswise so that the lugs will seat in the uppressedseats 29. When the parts have been thus assembled there results anarticulate connection between the arms and the cover and the generaletl'ect and principle of operation are the same as before.

From the foregoing it will be evident that my device may be regarded ashaving a receptacle provided with arms which are hinged to the cover insuch manner that they can swing into and out of the chambered portion ofa chambered stopper thus enabling them to engage and disengage theconverging portion of the internal surface of the stopper at the lowerportion of the chamber so as to support the receptacle within thestopper or to release it as the case may be. These arms are controlledby screw mechanism operable from a point beneath the receptacle. In viewof the degree of control, which the operator has over the position ofthe arms, a considerable range of variation in the dimensions of thestopper may be compensated for. The arms may be rigid or may beresilient in accordance with the wish of the designer, but I prefer tomalre them comparatively still or rigid for by so doing the receptaclewhen secured in place becomes locked there, and there is no danger ofthe receptacle accidentally dropping out when the stopper is handled.

Vhile the form of the receptacle and cover may be varied, a suitabledesign is illustrated, in which the cover is flanged sufiiciently to fitover the top of the receptacle and hold the latter and its contents byfriction. This makes it possible for the receptacle to be charged andthe cover forced down into place preparatory to inserting it in thestopper. This enables the receptacle and its cover to be manipulated asa single unit while being applied to the stopper,

l'laving thus described my invention what 1'. claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described having a receptacle forcontaining dehydrating material, arms articulately connect ed to saidreceptacle, and swingable into and out of the chan'ibered portion of aninternally chambered stopper, and means for controlling the position ofsaid arms whereby the receptacle may be attached to and detached fromthe stopper, the arms being comparatively rigid whereby they may lockthe receptacle in position.

A device of the character described comprising a receptacle fordehydrating material, arms hinged to the upper portion of the receptacleand adapted to swing their outer ends outward and inward approximatelyin a vertical diametral plane, the arms being rigid, and screw mechanismfor controlling the position of the arms about. their hinges.

3. A device of the character described having a receptacle comprising abox with cylindrical sides and a cover having cylindrical sides adaptedto interfit with the sides of the box and frictionally engage the sameso that the receptacle may be handled as a unit, rigid arms movablymounted on the cover, and means carried by the box for positively movingsaid arms in a direction to force their outer ends outward in anapproximately vertical diametral plane.

4. For a candy jar having an internally chambered stopper, thecombination of a shoulder of the stopper, and means for receptacle forcontaining dehydrating lnapositively holding the last mentioned endsterial, substantially rigid V-'sha ed arms in engagement With theinternal shoulder10 hinged to the top of the receptac e, one of of thestopper. the ends of each arm being articulately In Witness whereof, Ihave hereunto subconnected to the container, and the other scribed myname.

end of each arm overlying the internal IRA D. PERRY.

